BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH | DECEMBER 2013 EDITION | ISSUE NO. 14

M A G A Z I N E

Precautions to prevent weight gain this Christmas

Testimony:AMAZING GRACE

Christmas Bible Quiz

Christmas and RELATIONSHIPS

for your personalsecurity at Christmas

10 tips

Boulevard Baptist Church2 Washington Boulevard, Kingston 20Tel.: 905-2422, 905-0118 or 832-1522Email: boulevard.baptist@yahoo.comPastor: Rev. Dr. Devon Dick

Opportunities For WorshipSundays at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.Sunday School: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. • 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.Prayer and Fasting: 1st Saturdays, 7:00 a.m.

Editor-in-Chief: Sophia WilliamsEditor: Hyacinth BrownOther Team Members: Carla Wilson-Redden, Francine Dallas, Simone Hull-Lloyd, Verna Edwards, Ricardo Holness, Claudette Reid, Duvaughn Dick, Petrona Faulknor and Lorna Fraser.

Mission Statement:To develop our spiritual lives,evangelize the wider communityand influence the world throughChrist by organized preaching,public and private worship, Christian education and fellowship, whileco-operating with other Christian bodies.

Boulevard Baptist Church

The only sourceof knowledgeis experience.Albert Einstein

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W E A L T H

w w w . w e a r e p r o v e n . c o m

Head Office: 26 Belmont Road, Kingston 5, Tel: 876.908.3800-2Mandeville Branch: 5-7 Ward Avenue, Tel: 876.625.0845-6 Montego Bay Branch: Unit 11, Suite B, Fairview II Shopping Centre,Bogue, Montego Bay, Tel: 876.908.3800-2 info@weareproven.com

Greetings!Christmas is approaching. It’s the time that many kids have been looking forward to all year long. It’s also the time of year that couples look forward to, but not always in a positive way. I have known of persons who get a heavy feeling as Christmas approaches for fear of all of the things that they would prefer not to be doing.

Each family has its own traditions, for example, traditions of decorating, baking, cooking, going to church, how much money to spend, which day to celebrate, socializing with family members (in particular in-laws) and giving gifts. When two families are joined together in marriage there are bound to be occasions where the differences are brought to light. Sometimes these traditions can add unnecessary pressure to an already ailing marriage.

One spouse may go along with the plan of the other spouse for a quiet life but is not truly committed to the plan and would rather wish him or herself away!

This may happen in regards to any of the occasions we celebrate throughout the

year and ought to be examined in pre-marital counselling as over the years of marriage, it may become one of the areas of great controversy. Here are some tips for the future from Focus on the Family’s Complete Guide to the First Five Years of Marriage and which may also be applied generally to other celebrations. To keep those days worth celebrating, remember these tips:

• Aim to make holiday times enjoyable and memorable.• Balance the development of your own traditions with those of the homes you came from.• Keep the focus on time spent together rather than amount of money spent.• Invite Christ to be your honoured guest in all your plans and celebrations.

Let us pray for God’s guidance as we celebrate Christmas this year knowledgeable of the fact that “Jesus is the reason for the season” and that the unity of our marriages must be given paramount consideration.

Merry Christmas!

1.

Christmas and Relationships~ Carol Bernard Madden

1. Establish and maintain close contact with your local police and armed response providers. Call on them for escorts and routine checks.

2. Never flash money or valuables in public places.

3. If you have to carry a large sum of money, divide it into smaller amounts and distribute to different pockets.

4. If you are faced with offensive weapons, it is better to lose your money or possessions than your life. Give the robber what he requests and other valuables you have. As much as possible, take action that will help you to avoid an attack.

5. If you are being forced into a vehicle, don’t go. Stoutly resist any attempt to get you inside. Scream, kick, flash your arms, rake the eyes of the attacker, bite, and become physically unruly as much as you can. Your chances of survival are much better on the spot than at another location.

6. At nights, do not use ABMs alone. If possible, always have someone on the outside.

7. Ladies, avoid using public washrooms alone. Numerous robberies and assaults have occurred in these areas.

8. When approaching a red traffic light, from a distance during silent hours reduce your speed and slowly approach the intersection. This allows time for the light to change from red to green, preventing you from stopping.

9. Periodically check your rear view mirror while you drive. If you think you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station or somewhere with a lot of activity; never drive straight home. Do not allow the follower to pass. Middle the road and constantly blow your horn to attract attention.

10. Observe any unusual activity in the vicinity of your gate before entering or leaving home. If you feel uncomfortable, drive pass and alert the police and other persons.

10 Tips for your personal Security at Christmas

2.

Hugh Reid (abridged from a document authored by Garfield Hogg)

On Sunday December 8, there was “Lasting Joy” as thirteen members were added to the Boulevard Baptist Church Fellowship: eleven by way of Baptism, one through restoration and one transferred.

With ages ranging from 12 to 84 years, the candidates presented their testimonies on Wednesday December 4. These candidates had been living a prayerful life, and some emotionally testified about how God had delivered them from traumatic situations. Giving their lives to Him was an expression of gratitude for God’s goodness towards them.

Deacon Maria Gibbs in her exhortation to the candidates after they had given their testimonies on Wednesday, stated that they are ‘a new creation’ living a new life, as they have turned to a new Master. She encouraged them to trust in the Lord and not on their own intellect or understanding. God is able to and will help them in their trials and temptations, she assured them. They must commit their lives to God in this new relationship, serving Him wholeheartedly, willingly and faithfully as their new partner.

MOREDisciples

3.

Front Row: Tamara Bryson, Geossica Madden, Yanique Gibbs. Middle Row: Lloyd Wint, Obediah Brown, Marcia McFarlane, Paul McFarlane (couple), Jermaine Burke, Telecia Duhaney, Norma Calder, Sonia Cole.Back Row: Deacon Kathlyn Grant, Akeem Williams and Pastor Devon Dick.

You see a familiar face or hear a name that you have heard quite often in church, but what do you know about this sister or brother? The Boulevard Baptist Church All Members’ Fellowship on Sunday November 24, 2013, provided the opportunity for us to know more about each other.

Dr. John Keane, Head of the Faculty of Leadership at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology (CGST), delivered the sermon for the worship service which began the day. Dr. Keane called on us to be agents appointed by God to transform the fate of the nation so that lives may be transfigured and transformed. The Gospel of Jesus Christ still has the power to change and to have the desired and providential impact, stated Dr. Keane. He asserted that we must establish a Christian counter culture as righteousness must be a culture. Using the Bible character

Ezra as an example, Dr. Keane said even when Ezra was in exile, he studied God’s word and was strengthened by it. He indicated that one must be saddened by the sense of complacency by God’s people, as there is no urgency or passion to seek the law of the Lord. Seeking, he said is a diligent and purposeful act, and this was the secret of Ezra’s tremendous success.

Following the service we had a Presentation on the Family Deacons Ministry then divided into groups by Family Deacons Zones for a study of the book of Philippians with a focus on 1:27-2:18 - “Being citizens worthy of the Kingdom”. The study was followed by a spirited Bible Study Quiz with each group displaying sound knowledge of Philippians and seeking to be the winner. We were next entertained by a Family Concert by talented members. The day culminated with a sumptuous lunch.

ALL MembersFELLOWSHIP

4.

Deacon Veronica Wynter (seated at front) guides members of her zone through the Bible study.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel

- Isaiah 7:14

Christmas weight gain.Precautions to take to prevent

- Duvaughn Dick – Licensed Physical Therapist

5.

Christmas is a special time of year. It is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and also a time for family and friends to share in good fellowship and good food. So it is a time of big cooking and even bigger eating. Everyone enjoys all the delicious Christmas food throughout the season, but no one likes the weight gain that follows resulting in New Year resolutions to lose weight by joining a gym or exercising.

Here are two tips to help prevent overeating:

(1) Have a small high-fibre snack before eating a large meal such as a buffet-style dinner. The snack may

be a salad or some peanuts (not too many peanuts though, their healthy fats calorie content can add up). This snack will fill up some space in your stomach and you also will not feel as hungry.

(2) Drink water before meals. I stress water as drinks such as sorrel, soda or natural juices have high caloric content and may add more calories than the food itself.

The purpose of drinking the water is to limit the amount of food to be eaten and this method can work if you didn’t have time to prepare a snack as in tip number 1, or just forget to.

Try these tips before eating large meals throughout the Christmas season and into the New Year and you won’t need to lose the pounds after Christmas.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…- Luke 1:14

By: Dorrett R Campbell

Plan your shopping. Shop early and avoid last minute shopping. Sitting in long lines of traffic adds more carbon emissions to the atmosphere.Reuse gift wrappings and gift bags; therefore take extra care when unwrapping your gift.

Better to give a gift of life that will grow for years to come. Add a lovely potted plant to someone’s décor.

Go for an artificial Christmas tree and save our trees, or better yet decorate your live Cypress tree. You may consider planting one if you don’t have one.

There are also fibre optic Christmas trees which are synthetic with pre-lit LED lights embedded in the limbs that can be stored and used each year.

For other artificial Christmas trees, decorate with LED Christmas lights and get recycled decorative ideas online on how you could nicely decorate your tree; for example with old Christmas cards, plastics and card boards.

Don’t get over excited because of the season and forget certain things such as energy conservation. Avoid surprising yourself with an extraordinarily high utility bill in the New Year.

Reduce your use of energy by doing some of your cooking in a crock pot, which is much more energy efficient than an electric oven. You can also reduce your energy consumption by baking as much food as possible together. Cook dishes that require the same temperature in the same oven.

Have a green and peaceful Christmas Everyone!

6.

celebrate a green christmasGREEN ATTITUDES

- Sophia Williams

7.

Testimony:

Sis. Elvena ReittieGrace

Amazing

The most profound spiritual event of my life happened in 2004 when I underwent “open heart surgery” involving cutting through layers of my skin, sawing through my sternum (chest bone), dissecting my heart, and sewing in different veins taken from one of my legs. As you can see, this was two surgeries taking place simultaneously.

All I had to my credit was prayer. All my pulsating major organs had to be shut off. Breathing the breath of life had to be artificially done. The slightest slip by the surgeon would have made me a goner.

May I just tell you at this point that my cousin nearly half my age, a minister of religion had a similar surgery at the same hospital the following year and never made it from the operating table. This is to say how serious a surgery I had.

My bypass surgery came about as a result of a prescribed drug gone sour. As I sought a few more years to my life God came through dramatically, reached for me, picked me up brought me back and added years to my life. It is now nine years since that surgery and every day I give thanks for His amazing grace.

A profound message lies in the beautiful lyrics of Amazing Grace. I am sustained in the loving awareness of my union with my God.

Every day is a new song of hope and joy for me, which I try to enjoy to its maximum, spreading love in one way or another making my own joy at the same time. There is power in Prayer - prayer works! Let us therefore continue to align ourselves to a rhythm of life that will always sustain us.

And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for itis He who will save His people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

Rev. Devon Dick, in a recent sermon delivered on the first Sunday of Advent, reminded us that God is faithful and he always keeps his promises. He told the congregation to be watchful and exercise patience while we wait, work and grow. It is during this period of waiting, working and growing that God is preparing His blessings for us. In this sermon, titled “Prepare the way of the Lord,” Rev. Devon Dick assured us

that our dreams that are according to God’s will and plans for us will come through in the life time that he has prepared for us. God knows what he is doing. God’s time is the right time. There are many of us who have been waiting patiently on God to come through for us in various aspects of our lives. This may be personal, on behalf of other persons and/or for situations around us.

What have you been patiently waiting on God for, with the hope that he will deliver in 2014?

God’s Promise… While we wait… - Sophia Williams

8.

Francine Dallas (Teacher): I want God to deliver on the two (2) H’s… A house and a husband.

Faith Stewart (Bank Consultant): To bless me with patience while I wait on Him to deliver on my expectations.

Joseph McIntyre (Warehouse Supervisor): The Church may come into the knowledge of her role as a mission agent, as an institution of transformation, a hospital for souls, a place of healing and a worship destination, where God’s mission is fulfilled to His purpose.

Jacqueline McCormack (Administrator): The opportunity to give more service in the area of Continuing Education.

Vernon Henry (Electrical Contractor): The sale of a house to facilitate the construction of another house, and to give me peace and humility.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth - John 1:14

Mission in Education

9.

“Mission must assert a person’s worth and dignity; must never depend on any form of gratitude. It must be motivated by love.” Sound proclamation by Sis. Racquel Buckley, Student Pastor of the United Theological College of the West Indies, as she delivered the sermon at the Mission in Education and Scholarship Awards Service at the Boulevard Baptist Church on Sunday November 17, 2013.

Sis. Racquel Buckley asserted that mission must be a meaningful encounter that leaves one independent, and with improvement in life that is long lasting. Mission interventions must be empowering, looking into the future. The student pastor declared that Mission in Education is facilitating education to withstand the test of time, and it is mission without counting the cost.

The Cyril Matherson and the Enid Miller Scholarships reflect this belief about missions as the lives and the long term prospects of the beneficiaries have been changed for the better. This year’s beneficiaries are Denise Francis, final year student in the Built Environment at the University of Technology, who received the Cyril Matheson Scholarship; Abigail Downie, the Enid Miller Scholarship and Abigail Webb recipient of a Bursary from the Enid Miller Fund.

The Cyril Matherson Scholarship, first awarded in 1995, is open to all final year students of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the UTECH, regardless of their religious affiliation. The Enid

Miller Scholarship, offered since 2001, is awarded to a student of the Boulevard Baptist Church Sunday School and a student of the Norman Manley High School. Thirty-seven students have benefited from these scholarships since their inception.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Pics: T-B: Denise Francis(left),UTECH student; Abigail Downie (right) St. Andrew H/Sch.; Abigail Webb (left) NMHS. Presenters: L-R Sis. Adelle Brown, Chairman Education Committee and Woodburn Miller, former JTA President.

Did You Know?

10.

1. Eight denominations have established 38 high schools in post-slavery Jamaica

2. Three denominations have contributed more than 50 per cent of the 38

3. Most denominations have no high schools

4. No new church high school has been established since 1986

5. The Corporate Area has 20 of the 38 church high schools

6. Westmoreland and Hanover is the only parish with no church high school

7. Four parishes have one church high school each

8. Four church high schools have been built since 1962

9. Three church high schools were established in 1958

10. Twenty four church high schools were established from 1925 to 1962

Source: Rebellion to Riot by Rev. Dr. Devon Dick, p.43, Table 12

Progress…KINGS MANOR TOWNHOUSES

Significant progress on the construction of the Kings Manor Town Houses has been made since they were featured in September 2013. This development located at 15 Kings Drive in Barbican, Kingston 6, is well on its way to meet its projected date of completion on January 23, 2014. On completion of the five (5) townhouses, the ground floor will have a patio and garden area, internal laundry area, powder room, living and dining area that opens on to a back patio.

The kitchen will be fitted with solid-surface countertops and the roof will be a combination of metal tiles and slab. Upstairs has en suite master bedroom another bedroom and bathroom as well as a balcony. Floors are ceramic tiled and each town house has two parking spaces. There is also a guardhouse to this environmentally-friendly, gated complex. The price per unit is 21 million dollars, but is subject to escalation. Each unit will also allow for expansion of up to 220 sq ft.

This development is a joint venture of the Kings Manor Development Company Limited with the Boulevard Baptist Church and the Jamaica Baptist Union.

11.

Top: Latest photos on the progress of Town Houses Bottom: Photos taken in September this year

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,

Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6

1. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, what happened?

A. They got married B. Joseph wanted to break the engagement C. Mary left town for three months D. A and B E. B and C

2. Joseph was originally from... (Luke 2:3)

A. Bethlehem B. Nazareth C. Hebron D. Jerusalem E. None of the above

3. What does the Bible say that the innkeeper said to Mary and Joseph? (Luke 2:7)

A. “There is no room in the inn.” B. “I have a stable you can use.” C. “Come back later and I should have some vacancies.” D. Both A and B E. None of the above

4. A manger is a...

A. Stable for domestic animals B. Wooden hay storage bin C. Feeding trough D. Barn

5. How many wise men came to see Jesus?

A. 3 B. 6 C. 9 D. 12 E. We don’t know.

6. Who saw the star in the East?

A. Shepherds B. Mary and Joseph C. Three kings D. Both A and C E. None of the above

12.

And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel

before He was conceived in the womb - Luke 2:21

Happy Wedding Anniversary to our Pastor Rev. Dr. Devon Dick and Sis. Mary who celebrate their 28th Wedding Anniversary on December 21. The Boulevard Baptist Family wish for them God’s continued Blessings and many more happy years together.

Answers to Quiz on page 12. 1-E, 2-A, 3-E, 4-C, 5-E, 6-E

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